Walam Olum


Walam Olum

 

(“Red Score”), an epic written work on the history of the Delaware Indian tribe. According to legend, the work was recorded pictographically on bark in the 17th century; by the early 19th century only small fragments remained. The Historical Fragment (19th century), which is a continuation of the Walam Olum, attributes the epic’s authorship to a single individual, Le-hibit (“He Who Writes”). The Walam Olum reflects characteristics of the Delaware tribal system and contains cosmogonic and other myths and historical legends of the Delaware Indians.

TEXT AND REFERENCE

Walam Olum, or Red Score: The Migration Legend of the Lenni Le-nape, or Delaware Indians. [Translated by C. F. Voegelin; studies by E. Lilly et al.] Indianapolis, Ind., 1954.